A HIGH COURT challenge by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and six junior doctors to proposed measures which will adversely affect their pay and conditions will be heard next month.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said yesterday, given the urgency of the matter, the case would be fixed for either April 21st or April 28th, and was expected to last four days.
The IMO and doctors are seeking an injunction preventing the HSE from implementing proposals outlined in a letter to the IMO in January.
Yesterday, Michael Cush SC, for the IMO and the doctors, said it had been agreed between the parties that nothing would be done to implement the proposals over the next seven days when the HSE would file a defence. Talks would then take place about what would happen next.
Ms Justice Laffoy agreed to adjourn the matter for one week.
The HSE’s proposals include reduced overtime rates for non-consultant hospital doctors, the suspension of training grants and the axing of various allowances.
The six doctors – Orla Neylon, Aisling Snow, Darragh Shields, Michael Barrett, Waqar Ahmed, Patrick Kelly – are non-consultant hospital doctors and members of the IMO.
Under their existing contracts, doctors have a 39-hour working week and are required to work overtime.
The contracts provide that the first 15 hours of overtime are paid at the hourly rate, plus one-quarter. Any other overtime attracted the hourly rate, plus one-half.
The HSE is proposing that the first nine hours of the doctors’ overtime be paid at a flat rate.